Why We Celebrate Father's Day

Father's Day is not just an American holiday, but it is celebrated all over the world. Even though different cultures celebrate it on different dates and have different ways to celebrate it, the concept is the same: To honor your father for all the love and support he has been giving you throughout the years.

Amazingly, the first Father's Day card is said to have been made 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. It was a message carved in clay of a son wishing his father good health and a long life.

The concept of Father's Day in the United States can be claimed by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington in 1909. She was listening to a sermon on Mother's Day and thought about her father, William Smart, who was a widowed Civil War veteran and raised his six children by himself on a farm. She felt it only fair that he be honored as well. In response to that, Spokane's mayor chose a day in June for the celebration since William Smart's date of birth was June 19, 1910.

It wasn't until 1966 that there was a presidential recognizing of fathers. President Lyndon Johnson set up the third Sunday in June to be Father's Day. Father's Day became an annual national holiday permanently in 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

In the United States Father's Day is still the third Sunday in June. It is set up to be a day where children show how thankful they are for their father's love and affection. Usually this is done by sending a card. Many times a gift will be given. One of the most popular Father's Day gifts are neckties.

The tradition of Father's Day spread to neighboring Canada. There, too, it is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Red roses are usually worn to show appreciation for their father. If the father is deceased, a white rose is worn instead. Cards and small gifts are given to not just the father but grandfather and any other man than has played a father figure role.

In Ireland much is the same as the U.S. and Canada. One striking difference is that if the father is deceased, his children will honor him by sending donations in his name or by doing acts of service.

In Australia and New Zealand the date for Father's Day is the first Sunday of September. Like other countries, many send cards and buy gifts like neckties for their father to show their appreciation. Although most celebrations are kept within the family setting, there are many programs and activities arranged to encourage the children and fathers to spend enjoyable quality time together.

Father's Day highlights the important role that fathers play in the family. A good father is important to the physical and emotional well-being of a child. Father's Day gives children the opportunity to express their gratitude for his love and attention.

Hendrik Pohl is the owner and founder Ties-Necktie.com an online retailer offering a wide range of quality handmade silk ties, as well as useful dress code tips for men, men's fashion advice, necktie knot instructions, and more.